


Born Agrimm

by Yojimbra



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Grimm - Freeform, Rebirth, Reincarnation, Survival, animal - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-06 14:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12819894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yojimbra/pseuds/Yojimbra
Summary: Reborn as a Grimm Pyrrha struggles with who she is, where she came from, and who she once was. She must grow stronger if she wants to survive in a world where everything is her enemy. (An experiment in new genre/fandom)





	1. Chapter 1

Existence began. 

That was how it came into being, one moment it didn’t exist, the next it did. Strong and healthy, with large black claws that stained the very earth they walked on. A powerful jaw that could snap a tree in two, and eyes that could see for miles under the shattered moon’s pale glow. But it was the nose that was it’s really portal into the world. 

Hatred, resentment, fear, jealousy, sadness, delectable negative emotions were carried on with every gust of win and drew its attention, calling its hunger. It was because of this that it took its first steps out into this new world. Pulling itself out of the blackened ooze from which it spawned from. 

They took a moment to inspect itself to grow accustomed to moving. Four legs that could move in tandem with each other. Powerful tail, that provided balance. With a grunt they stood on their back two legs, the motion was familiar and comfortable. Walking was no problem even as it swung its large arms in the creating a woosh. 

It could fight. 

That thought excited it. Fighting it wanted to fight, to hunt, to kill, to grow. 

A motion in the bush caught their attention. And then another and another and another. They caught a glimpse. A creature similar to it walked on four legs, long nose, powerful jaws. They were similar but different. It was Grimm. And they… they were not Grimm. 

And they wanted to fight the Grimm, they had the Grimm surrounded. How foolish of them.

The Grimm stared at the largest of its foes, waiting for them to strike. 

One of the beasts charged from behind, vicious jaws snapping in the air paired with growls and howls. They thought to make it fear. But it was fear. With a whirl of claws and teeth, it snatched the first beast out of the air, it’s claws dug into the beasts soft belly spilling warm blood on its claws before it slammed the beast into the ground. 

It's first killing. Another beast was snapped in half by a downward swing, and another died in its powerful jaws. They were wolves, the Grimm recalled as it batted another one out of the air sending it flying into a tree where it lay limp. 

The largest wolf snapped and growled at her, the beast nearly rivaled its size. The alpha wolf had one eye scarred shut and numerous scars from past victories marked its snow white coat. Shame its victory streak would come to a sudden end. 

The Grimm charged the Alpha wolf, going in low and snapping upwards with its jaw and claiming its throat as their prize. It whined and whimpered under the Grimm's bite unable to move and understanding that death was imminent. With a snap, the great beast’s neck was no more. 

The rest of the beasts fled their fear was but an appetizer. More fear, was elsewhere it pooled on the cliffside of the valley, where its true food lay. Humans. 

Lights and sound marked the humans as clearly as the smell of their misery. They were all just standing there, waiting for the Grimm to come and kill them. All it would have to do was walk up and begin to kill the Humans and harvest on the ultimate emotion. The fear of death. 

Just as the grim was about to stalk forward another creature stopped it. This to was Grimm. This grim was like them but larger, older, wiser. Behind it were more of their kind. More Grimm. There were too many of them now. How would it know which one was it? 

It needed a name. 

Pyrrha. 

It had no idea where the name came from or what voice whispered it into their mind. But now its name was Pyrrha. 

The Alpha glanced at Pyrrha, it’s large red eyes deep with wisdom. It snorted and stomped. 

*You Grimm. You join attack. Human filth ripe with fear.*

Pyrrha nodded, it could taste the fear of the village on high alert. The humans knew the Grimm were coming. The Grimm always came and they always will. 

They stalked the through the trees, and up the cliffs until they were within striking distance of the humans. From here stealth would do the Grimm no good. The humans began to shout. Began to scream. Their fear was growing. It was delicious. And Pyrrha wanted more. 

Torches were lit and alarms echoed throughout the night. And a cry erupted from the heavens drawing the human’s light upwards. Where a large flying Grimm circled overhead. That was the command. 

It was time to attack!

Grimm poured from the forest and up the roads to the human settlement, they climbed over the walls and began to kill the Humans. Pyrrha charged in as well, in the middle of the pack eager and willing to fight the humans. It was a slaughter. The human protectors began to fall one after another their weapons too weak to harm the Grimm. 

This was wrong. Something was wrong? These were humans? These were what Pyrrha must kill? 

No. 

Pyrrha watched as a Grimm charged into a building and exited it with the still screaming corpse of a woman in its mouth. Another smashed a man into the ground. Another ripped a man limb from limb. 

This was horrible. Pyrrha had to do something. Needed to something. 

The Alpha Grimm was closing in on a family, a young woman holding two crying children while the father held up a pitch fork in his hand. This was the fear they needed? The fear they wanted? Pyrrha could see it in the man’s eyes he had conquered his fear. He would die defending his family. 

Courage was sickening, it made Pyrrha’s head spin and thrum with pain. It was why the grim were drawn to the man. To turn his courage to fear and dread as they tore at his family. 

Pyrrha had to stop it. There was no reason why. It was a simple need. As strong if not stronger than the need to kill the humans. 

There was no thought in it as Pyrrha charged the alpha, snapping at his neck, but the alpha was fast, experienced and aware. It dodged her jaws by an inch and Pyrrha grazed it’s massive arm, far from a fatal or serious wound. 

The world went silent as Grimm and humans stared at Pyrrha in wonder. The need to kill the humans and the need to protect them were warring in Pyrrha’s mind clawing at their every thought. For now, the humans would live until one of those desires won out. That meant killing the other Grimm. 

The alpha looked at Pyrrha it’s glowing red eyes showed nothing but fury and hatred. With a massive roar that shook the other, it said one thing and one thing only. 

*Traitor*

The pack gathered around they to shouted unison. 

*Traitor*

They were connected, but Pyrrha was alone. 

The alpha roared and charged at Pyrrha, its massive claws easily enough to end Pyrrha’s short life. The Alpha was larger, stronger, more experienced, and had the pack behind them. 

But Pyrrha, Pyrrha was the better fighter. 

With a roll into a swipe, Pyrrha raked her claw along the length of the alpha’s arm, tearing the muscle to ribbon. The alpha retaliated with a second swing that graced Pyrrha’s shoulder revealing the warm soft flesh beneath the blackened fur. 

Pyrrha reacted in kind, gnawing and gnashing at the alpha’s arm tearing off tendons and the like. Its mighty jaws were inches from Pyrrha’s throat before they managed to roll out of the way. Leaping onto the Alphas back Pyrrha began to tear at the Alpha’s shoulder ripping out one of the large bone spikes. 

The kill was theirs! The alpha would die. Pyrrha dug their claws into the beast's masks and began to rip. It howled and yowled in agony. Fear spread through the Alpha. It was intoxicating. Grimm could fear too. Grimm was prey too. The Alpha’s mask came off with a rip. 

Pyrrha let out a howl that drowned all sound out of the world. There was only the victor, only Pyrrha. 

The alpha began to vanish, the fate of al Grimm that die. Wait no. It wasn’t vanishing. Pyrrha was absorbing it. Not all of it. But enough. The Alpha’s strength was becoming Pyrrha’s strength. It’s power feeding into them as their body began to change. Spikes of white bone grew at random, wounds began to heal. It felt wonderful. All the terror and fear the Alpha had once ingested was now Pyrrha's.

Grimm were delicious. 

With their new found strength Pyrrha roared again, sending the Grimm running filled with fear. They could hunt them later and feast once again. For now the humans. Kill or save, that was the choice Pyrrha now had. 

“Easy girl.” The man said, his voice as shaky as his hands. “You saved us right? I saw it. You’re not all bad are ya girl?”

Pyrrha was a girl? That sounded… correct. Still, the human took a step closer and she growled. Humans were dangerous, Humans were food. Humans should die. Humans needed to be protected. 

“Woah, easy now.” The man took a step back. “I just wanted to thank you for saving us is all.” 

It really shouldn’t be saying that. She hadn’t decided if she wanted to save the human or not. It would be easy to kill it. Especially now.

No, the human could live. She had Grimm to hunt.


	2. Chapter 2

“Multiple reports of a Grimm on Grimm attack are coming from Osulu village - small, mountainous, well defended - A pack of beowolf, and nevermore assaulted the village, however, a lone beowolf - young by its description - attacked and killed the alpha, absorbing its strength and swelling in size. This is the first instance of a Grimm attacking and feasting on another Grimm. Could it be a natural phenomena that we are just now witnessing? Or is this a new breed of Grimm, one that feeds on other Grimm? Or something entirely different. Either way, it is worth investigation” 

Journal of Bartholomew Oobleck, Huntsman - former professor of Beacon Academy. 

 

Hunting was enjoyable. Humans were easy, she could smell their fear for miles, like a bloody ribbon drawing her towards them. She could not sense other Grimm the way that she could humans. But that was where the thrill was. She had the bait. Now all she had to do was wait for Grimm to appear. 

Pyrrha exposed herself to the Humans, far enough away that she could easily slip back into the forest, but close enough that there could be no doubt about what she was. A predator. And while they were nothing more than her bait terrorizing them was enjoyable, especially as their fear wafted over them as the sun began to set.

She yawned perched on a rock that stood out from the thick grassy plains of the valley. It was her twentieth day of existence, and already she had found things that brought her satisfaction. The warmth of the sun was one such pleasure, feeling it’s rays warm her blackened body. But the sun meant that the human’s feared less, and thus Grimm less likely to attack. 

So it was the perfect time to relax and take a nap. If she knew what a nap was. 

A motion in a nearby tree caught her eye. A Grimm. A large boar-like creature several times her size was charging right for the humans. She hadn’t fought one of those before. Her first time fighting a Grimm that wasn’t a Beowolf. 

She went from lounging to sprinting fast enough to skip the steps in between, her powerful forelegs tearing at the weeds as she charged on an intercept course. Walking on her back to legs, was slow, cumbersome, noisy. She was a predator, not some lumbering herbivore. 

The boar was larger than her in both length and sheer girth, a powerful beast that could take a lot of punishment, especially with hits head practically incased in thick bone plates. Its only weapon was the two large tusks that jutted out of its mouth, like twin spears. But the creature was slow. 

Perhaps it would be ideal for breaking down Human walls or knocking over their vehicles.

Pyrrha charged into the beast one of her bone plated claws slashing into its meaty shoulder. She slammed her other claw into the opposite side so that she could hold onto the beast as it continued it’s enraged charged towards the human. Her hind legs kicked and scratched at the beast, less so to find a foothold and more to cause enough damage to slow the beast. 

The Boarbatusk roared and began to thrash its head from side to side, it’s tusks were large enough to nearly curve back into its own shoulder. Unnecessary damage was something Pyrrha was keen on avoiding. 

With her massive fangs sinking into the beast’s hump, it’s flanks shredded to ribbons thanks to her hind legs, she began to claw her way along the beasts frame. Bite by painful bite she tore at the creature ripping off huge chunks of the bone plates. 

It’s strength drained, the Boarbatusk began to slow until it could no longer stand under its own weight and collapsed. Pyrrha was quick, reaching below the beast's neck and raking her claws along its length. 

It let out one final groan as whatever twisted forum of life the Grimm had begun to fade. That was when Pyrhha feasted. All the fear the Boarbatusk had consumed, the despair, the sadness, the jealousy and the rage swelled within her as the beast began to fade. 

The effects were immediate. Already she felt stronger, faster, larger. It was more than she had ever consumed at once, easily one and a half times greater than the Alpha. So the size and the strength of a Grimm determined how much she could feast on them. How much would that Nevermore give her Such a colossal beast would truly be a feast. 

If only she had wings. 

Bones began to form on her front legs, many bones, her claws grew shorter, thinner, sharper. Her muzzle shortened, fangs growing larger and sharper. And a thick bone plate covered her face. From her shoulders down her body was a pure black, like the space between stars, aside from her long white tail that whipped dangerously back and forth. 

She was still Grimm. But she was no longer as she was before. Why did she change? Did she make this happen? Did consuming Grimm cause this to happen? If she was no longer beowolf what was she? 

“Extraordinary!” Pyrrha felt her ears twitch at the sound of a human pushing his way out of the bushes to stand right next to her. He was tall for a human, slender, male, green haired, confident. She couldn’t smell fear on him. No, she smelled… caffeine? And curiosity. “You see Port? I told you investigating the rumors would be worth and here we are! Not only did we witness the Grimm in action but we saw it evolve into another form. The first ever feline Grimm if I'm not mistaken.”

Feline? She was a cat?... what was a cat? 

The man was within swatting distance. If she wanted to she could easily swipe and end his life. The thought was tempting. It was her first time seeing a human that didn’t reek of fear. Was he a fighter? Could he fight well? He didn’t look like it. 

“I say now what are you going on about now Barty?” A shorter human huffed as he fell through the tall grass. Shorter, rounder, greyer, mustached… portlier, is that why he was called port? She locked eyes with him and then he could feel fear. But it was just for a moment before a lion's heart of courage poured out of the man. “My word, look at the size of the beast, I thought the report said it was a Beowolf.” 

“He was!” Barty proclaimed zipping around her with speed that was almost too hard to keep track of. Maybe swatting him wouldn’t be so easy. Wait… did it just call her he? Pyrrha let out a low warning growl and the one called Barty came to a sudden stop. “Oh, terribly sorry did I offend you? Is she better?”

Pyrrha nodded. This man felt… familiar. 

“Excellent! Good to know!” Again the man zipped around her, examining her closely. “Simply amazing, the back is completely unprotected, as though the creature isn’t expecting to be attacking, an apex predator of sorts, The Head plate mostly serves as an extension of the massive fangs and jaws, armor front paws suggest that offense is the best defense.”

He lifted one of her paws into the air with surprising ease. What a curious Human. 

“Barty,” Port stammered, fear pouring off of him in spurts as his courage tried to cover it up. 

“What is it Port? This is the closest we’ve ever come to a live Grimm without being attacked, and she seems more than -”

“- She can understand you.” 

That caused the hyperactive one to come to a stop, while still holding her paw like it wasn’t roughly as large as him he turned his head and blinked at her. “You can understand me?” 

She nodded. Couldn’t all Grimm? Sure he was mostly rambling, but she understood some of his words. Again why did this man seem so familiar? 

“Marvelous.” He muttered placing her paw down. “Simply marvelous. Not only have we discovered a Grimm that hunts other Grimm - for consumption it seems - is at least tolerant of humans enough that’s comfortable with us touching her, has a concept of gender preferring to be referred to as female! But is also intelligent enough to understand human speech!”

 

He continued to talk faster and faster, going on and on about what a remarkable creature she was. Honestly, she agreed; she was a pretty great creature. 

“Tell me, my dear,” Port said taking a careful step closer to her, though his hand never drifted too far from his weapon. It looked to be a cross between an axe and a gun. “Can other Grimm understand our language.”

She shrugged, she could understand other Grimm, as well as they could be understood. But, the human tongue was different. Humans talked. Grimm understood. 

Port huffed, stroking his mustache in silent thought. “Can you speak?”

That was a good question. What should she say? There had to be something that she should try to say. A single word came into her mind, ready to be formed. ‘Hello’

It came out as a mew as her mouth and tongue were unable to form the correct words. 

“Well then, there goes that. It appears as though we’re stuck with yes or no questions for the time being,” Port grumbled, he began to walk back in forth taking his eyes off her for the first time. It’d be easy to kill him. He turned to her sharply as though he had heard that thought, his eye taking on a challenging glint. He was daring her to try it. He liked to fight too. 

But she wouldn’t hurt a human. 

“Port, don’t antagonize her, there is much we can learn from her! When the tribes of humans first interacted we did have different languages different ways of communication, there must be some way to understand this Grimm.” Barty zoomed around, once more a strange device in his hand was making annoying flashes. He paused and snapped his fingers. “But first we should give her a name.”

She growled. She had a name, it was Pyrrha. That was her name, that was who she was…. That was all she was. 

“Oh, so you have a name?” The tall man questioned. She nodded. “Amazing, then instead of a name do you mind if we give you a classification? Just so that we’re not calling you The Grimm, for our time together.”

“Our Time together?” Port harrumphed, “You’re intending on letting her go?”

She’d like to see them stop her. 

“Yes.” That was all Barty said. Apparently, he could say one syllable sentences. “Now then, let's see here, you are a female, and you a hunter of Grimm. I believe that makes you a huntress. Does that sound Subtle to you?” 

Pyrrha the Huntress. She liked the sound of that. 

“Excellent, now then Huntress, would you be willing to come to our camp? I have many questions I’d like to ask you.” 

“You’re inviting a Grimm into our camp? Have you gone mad?” 

“I was planning on offering it tea as well.”

Tea sounded good. Why did it sound good?


	3. Chapter 3

“The Huntress type Grimm is an oddity among the unique Grimm, while perhaps not as terrifying as its larger brothers the Huntress shows many things that others simply do not. Other Grimm desire only death and destruction, even the mighty Goliaths with their twisted intelligence, the Huntress is not slave to these basic traits of Grimm. I see in her a new hope. One no one had ever dreamed of.”

~ Journal of Bartholomew Oobleck, Huntsman - former professor of Beacon Academy. 

Fire, the red dancing source of heat was something that amazed Pyrra, she felt its warmth, its power, and she felt fear. Something about fire made her feel uneasy, was it the light it gave off, its raw destructive power to consume everything even Grimm, or was it the human’s mastery of it? 

Barty, the tall lanky human with green hair had created fire from nothing, shooting it out of the thermos he occasionally drank from. Did he drink fire? Did all humans drink fire? If so how were they so weak? 

“Now then,” Port, the short stocky grey-haired man stood up from the ground in front of her, she no longer sensed any fear from him. Several cards had been placed in front of her, A thumbs up, a thumbs down and several cards with various amounts of dots on them from zero to nine. “This is very simple if you under-”

She slapped a paw down on the thumbs up card making Port Jump

“I believe she understands Port,” Barty laughed from a stool on the other side of the fire. “Huntress, thank you again for answering all these questions. Now then do you know if there are others like you?” 

Grimm? Yes, Pyrrha? No, there was only one Pyrrha. She tapped her paw on the thumbs down. 

The questions continued ranging from how old she was, to how many Grimm she had killed, they wanted to ask so many more questions, but her own inability to speak prevented her from answering, and oh how she wanted to answer the questions. Something inside her wanted to do her best as though something important was based on her ability to answer. 

“Well then,” Barty said taking another sip from his thermos. A Journal he had been scribbling in sat at his sides, bursting with observations he made about her and her answers. “I believe that’s all we can obtain through yes or no questions.” 

Did she pass? Pyrrha felt her massive tail wagging as it crashed into a nearby bush slicing at the leaves. Pass? Why did that matter? What was she passing? 

A dull hum drew her eyes upwards, a flying beast, no it wasn’t a beast, beasts did not have lights, engines, did not smell of the fear of humans, this was an airship. Another testament to what Humans could do. 

“Lord, what does that fool want now?” Port grumbled, standing up once more, Borty rose as well turning to face the ship. 

The lanky Barty, sighed and scratched the back of his head. “Doubtless trying to enlist us again.”

Pyrrha rose to sit as well, examining the ship with a sense pride and curiosity. The curiosity was understandable, it was a flying ship without wings. The pride was a mystery, she wasn’t a human, why would she feel pride over this? 

Another ship, this one much much large, practically a flying fortress loomed overhead, and Pyrrha felt awe for the first time. 

As the ship descended down it turned in the air, then the large door on the rear of the ship began to open up. A tall man wearing a white suit, embellished with medals walked forward his confidence was thick enough she could practically choke on it. 

But as confident as the man, his fears were greater, greater than any death fearing man moments before the jaws of a tore them from the mortal coil. He did not fear for himself. No, he feared for the entire world, as though he saw himself as the only being that can save this world. A noble if not very wrong concept. 

“General Ironwood,” Port grumbled, “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Professors.” Ironwood offered a small bow his eyes were locked on them with laser focused. “I have come to…”

His gaze shifted to Pyrrha, and she felt danger, this human was not one to be taken lightly, he swirled with an overwhelming amount of fear and courage, both lure to Grimm, and their demise. 

In a flash as gun was pointed at her. And Ironwood’s rage could be felt in the air. “And what is that thing?”

“Lower your weapon Ironwood,” Barty stepped between her and Ironwoods line of fire. “This is Huntress, a new breed of Grimm. One that hunts and feasts on other Grimm.” 

Ironwood nodded, his gun still pointed right at her and thus Barty. The idea of a human hurting another human made Pyrrha sick. They were alone in this world, they had so many foes in the Grimm, yet they would fight each other? 

“And it doesn’t attack you why?” 

“We don’t know,” Port interjected, “However both me and Professor Oobleck have seen the Huntress in action, she fought and consumed a Boarbatusk just a few hours ago, but she has yet to show any kind of hostility towards us, even following us to camp and answering our questions.”

“Questions?” Ironwood growled, “It can speak?” 

Pyrrha met Ironwoods murderous gaze with one of her own. She would not kill a human for food or sport, but she would protect herself. Something was coming, it was being drawn to Ironwood like a moth to the flame. Something large, but stealthy. 

“Well no, but she understands us - furthermore.” 

“It understands you? And you just thought to have a fireside chat with what might be one of the most dangerous Grimm in the world to sate some curiosity? What if it's studying you trying to find out a weakness.” 

A roar silenced Ironwood and a giant white snack shot out from the forest, crashing into Ironwood’s transport sending it spiraling towards the ground. A Taijitu, a very large one at that, larger than the king size. 

Both white and black heads turned to look at Pyrrha, each head was large enough to swallow her whole. 

*We found you, Traitor,*

Pyrrha roared, feeling her body bristle at the new foe. Excitement flooded inside of her, this was her largest foe yet, soon to be her largest feast as well. 

She charged past Barty and Port her claw scattering the fire and bathing the area in cinders. A fireball was launched from behind her, and a yell of courage came from Port. and a new sense of excitement flooded over her. 

This was her first time fighting alongside humans. 

The enjoyment, the thrill, the pure exhilaration of fighting a powerful foe was magnified by the companions at her side. And Pyrrha lost herself in the battle, her body running off of instinct honed by years of training she didn’t have. 

As the massive white head of the snake struck her, it's fanged the length of her body and drawn to a wickedly sharp point. She dodged, rolling to the side as it just barely missed a killing blow, the Taijitu was quick, strong, and deadly. This only added to the flames of her desire to rise up to this foe. 

Digging her claws into one of the armored plates like scales that covered the beast's body Pyrrha pulled it upward, her muscles screaming as the blackened tissue below the scale clung to it for dear life. With a roar, she tore it free exposing the soft vulnerable flesh underneath it. 

Before she could strike the other head of the Taijitu smashed into her, leaving her barely enough time to grab hold of its snout, sinking her claws into it while her hind legs pushed down onto its lower jaw. 

It had her pinned against a tree, the bark behind her snapping under the tyrant's raw size and power. Had it not been for a fireball smashing into the beast's head from Barty it may have been her end. 

Rising to fight once more Pyrrha found the weak spot she created and charged for it. Ripping at tearing at more of the beast's armor with furious swipes sending each one flying as far as she could throw it.

“Keep it up, Huntress!” Barty shouted a barrage of fireball slamming into the beast's white head, before he zipped out of the way to dodge another attack that sent rubble into the air. “We’ll keep it occupied.”

“Do hurry though!” Port shouted the ax on his weapon was all the kept him from a timely demise. 

The scales became easy and easy to remove as their interlocking structure gave way like a house of cards, each one collapsing faster than the last until at she had a vulnerable spot worth tearing into. 

A humanoid roar echoed, and the world around them began to crash, Massive mechanical monstrosity fell from the sky slamming into the creature before rising up and attempting to attack it. 

The Taijitu whirled whippings its body about in a tornado of destruction knowing one mech into another while smashing another one into a tree, the mches did not crumble, resilient even against a beast such as this. Humans were truly amazing. 

Ironwood slammed into the beast right next to Pyrrha, his mechanical arm exposed and his true might was felt. For a few moments the two locked eyes; he did not trust her. He snapped pulling his gun and firing down into the vulnerable point the massive shells tearing through the beast like angry bees as the ricocheted along the inside shredding all they came in contact with. One, two, three, deafening blasts tore through the Taijitu. 

Pyrrha could feel its life force fading. Her mouth began to salivate at her coming feast. 

The Taijitu thrashed once more, knocking a mech down again before it came to a sudden stop and began to fade. It’s two massive heads turned to Pyrrha. 

*They will fear you*

*Choke on us*

The world faded from her as the strength and essence of the creature began to swirl like a thick black mist. And Pyrrha drank deeply gobbling up all that she could before it faded away, she needed to be stronger, she needed to be… she needed to be more. 

There was so much, already Pyrrha could feel her form changing, feel her muscles expanding, she was changing again. No, this was wrong, she was changing too fast, she couldn’t take it, it felt like she was going to explode. She roared, and a tendril of herself shot out as black lightning tearing through a tree that had stood for hundreds of years. 

“It’s growing stronger!” Ironwood shouted his voice nothing more than a distant echo. “We have to destroy it! Before it’s too late!” 

Through the mist, Pyrrha saw images, Barty defending her, the mechs standing around her, as more of their kind - smaller, lifeless, marionettes on invisible strings - descended from above all guns pointed at her. 

She had to do something. She could not die. She could feel the fear in her own heart growing. Grimm did not fear, Grimm should not fear, Grimm consumed fear. And yet she knew the fear of death, it made her soul want to scream out even as the Taijitu’s energy roared into her. 

Ironwood smacked Barty with his metallic hand sending her… friend? To the ground, and moments later Ironwood’s gun was pointed at her. 

“Fire!” 

The first round was fired from Ironwoods own gun, it tore through her changing unprotected flesh. She could feel her life fading with that bullet. Another tore through her, a massive shell from one of the large mechs, ripping through what once was her shoulder. 

The others began to fire as well, and death began to close in on her, hungry to consume her just as she consumed her fellow Grimm. There was nothing she could do. She was so powerful but utterly powerless. 

Nothing she could do. Nothing at all. 

No, some defiant part of her being shouted at her. This was not how she would die. She would not die again, weak and powerless. 

From deep inside her soul, she roared.

XXXX

Bartholomew Oobleck watched in horror as Ironwood began his barrage on his Huntress. The fire Grimm to truly take to them, the first Grimm to offer a new path, a new way, a new hope, and a million possibilities were to be slaughtered in a moment of vulnerability. 

This was how the world was, Grimm killed man, and man killed Grimm, and endless cycle of death and destruction that could not be stopped no matter how aware of it he made others no matter how he raged against the confines of fate to break the cycle. No matter how often he taught others not to repeat mistakes, to learn from the past to realize what they’re doing now isn’t working, they always would. 

It was the hubris of man that had them trapped. 

As the first salvo was moments from impact Huntress roared. 

And the bullets froze in the swirling darkness of the fading Grimm. 

“Keep firing!” Ironwood ordered, shells landing onto the ground hot behind him. The bullets stopped, further away from Huntress, the metal shells began to slow, before stopping altogether. 

His thermos began to pull on his strap, trying to ascend as all the metal on him attempted to do the same, the droids closest to Huntress began to float, going haywire as something was interfering with their signals. 

Ironwood gasped and slammed his human hand onto his mechanical arm in a failed attempt to stop it from rising. He floated there wiggling like a fish on the end of a hook. The larger mechs shut down and floated as well. 

Bartholomew saw her then as the remainder of the Emperor Taijitu’s form collapsed into his huntress. She was an amalgamation of parts, a chimera of all things, dyed white, red, and black as its form constantly shifted, eagerly trying to figure out what to adapt into next. 

She howled again a massive snout filled with razor sharp claws tore itself from her body; the beginnings of a new form, a creature with the same mind…. The same soul. Green - not red, nor black, nor white - eyes opened and stared at them all for a moment, those eyes, they were so human, so un Grimm like. 

All that was metal fell to the ground, and the blob that was Huntress darted away faster than any known animal, at speeds that only a hunter with a semblance of speed might match. 

Ironwood stood first, his metal arm limps at his side. He stared at Bartholomew with pure anger in his eyes. 

“Do you know what you just did?” Ironwood asked, his fingers twitching along his synthetic arm. 

“Do you know what you just tried to kill?” Bartholomew asked, rising to meet the man at eye level. He couldn’t believe it himself. In all of his years, in all of his wildest dreams. The events of today were beyond them, beyond hope, beyond imagination. 

“The most dangerous Grimm I had ever seen!” Ironwood barked, drawing a fist back. “It’s bad enough that it eats other Grimm to grow stronger, out in the wilderness it could go unchecked and quickly become stronger than that dragon that destroyed Vale, but add to it that power”

Ironwood threw the punch, his formerly strong metallic arm now nothing but dead weight made his movements slow and easy to dodge. “It took out an entire troop of my soldiers with just a roar! And you let it get away!”

“Do you know what that power was?” Bartholomew asked he adjusted his glasses hardly able to contain himself. He could not believe the words that were about to come out of his mouth. “It was a semblance.”

“So you’re just going to let the first Grimm with a semblance get away?” 

“She has a semblance James, she has an aura,” The implications were wonderous the behold, and the stream of possibilities streaming from his mind would take years to properly formulate. But the most important fact had yet to escape his lips. “She has a soul.”

Ironwood’s eyes widened for a moment and he looked towards the direction Huntress had left. Before they hardened or not. “Soul or not she is still a Grimm, and every human she kills is on you.”


	4. Chapter 4

This was her chance, her chance to fight a Grimm, save someone, and finally be a hero.

Just like her sisters.

Noire crouched in the high grass, sword gripped tightly at her side, shield secured on her arm. This was her chance, there was no one to steal the glory, no one to steal credit, it was her chance to be a hero, to prove herself as their equal as a huntress.

It was pure luck that she had found the place, a Deathclaw screaming and assaulting a small rocky cave with all its might desperate to get at whoever was inside of it. Any moment and the scorpion would have its prize; cracking open the stone like a walnut.

She had never seen a Deathclaw in such a frenzy, not even when it was in its death throes fighting against one of her sisters. This was something else, as though the creature only had one motive in its life: kill whatever is inside that cave - no matter the cost. The hard white shell of the beast's claw was cracking, sending chunks of bone into the air while its tail head had already snapped off.

Whatever a Grimm was that desperate to kill, she should be twice as desperate to save.

With a deep breath she summoned her semblance, the shadows around her began to swirl, enveloping her in a mist of darkness that grew darker by the second as though the area around her choose to ignore the glaring sun that sat high in the sky.

Her sisters had speed, strength, and other flashy powers, but Noire’s strength was ultimately her ability to go unnoticed. She charged carried by the shadows, allowing her feet to move along the ground without a sound. The Grimm never saw her coming.

The rocks above the cave finally began to buckle.

Bracing her sword arm against her shoulder, she slid under the Deathclaw dragging slicing along its vulnerable underside before it knew what happened. She unleashed her Semblance the, letting go of the shadows around her as they turned into spikes of darkness that shot out in every direction, impaling the creature's underside.

She stopped in front of the creature kicking off a large rock and slammed her shield into its face before jabbing her sword into it for the death blow.

“That was easy!” Noire chirped, where was the epic battle? It almost didn’t even feel like a real battle, like she wouldn’t even get any credit for it. “Oh well, I’m sure whoever is in there will thank me!”

She skipped over to the entrance and peered down into the darkness, there was nothing, no light, just a soft gurgling growling sound. “Hello? Are you still alive down there? I killed the-”

A sharp pain tore through her side as the Deathclaw snapped back to life, slamming it’s smaller claw into her midsection, shattering her aura with a single blow. It was still alive? She failed to kill the Grimm and now it was going to be her end. Two minutes remained before she could use her semblance again, that was longer than the two seconds she had left.

The beast's tail - while missing its deadly point - clubbed down next to her, had it not been for a quick roll to the side she would have been a fine red paste. Her eyes went wide as she watched the creatures claw slam down around her pinning her to the ground.

A shriek came from the cave, a shriek that no human could make. A blur of red, black, and claws shot out from the cave, nothing more than an incoherent mass, its form never lasted more than a few heartbeats before it took on a new more horrifying visage.

It slammed onto the Deathclaw like a wet towel, sucking life instead of heat. The Deathclaw shrieked releasing Noire and scrambling backward clawing at its own body to remove the red parasite that was consuming it only, the red creature was shrinking going smaller and smaller. The white shell cracked on top of its body as the red ooze-like creature burst forth pulling itself out of the Grimm’s body.

The Death claw stopped, it’s color fading as it began the process of vanishing. Instead of simply fading, however, the black miss swirled into the Ooze. It wiggled and shimmered, purring like a cat given a tray of milk. It was eating the Grimm!

“What the fuck?” Noire blurted out, amazement temporarily overriding the pain in her left side.

The Ooze began to change, not like it had before, this time it was with purpose, a head appeared, long and lean like that of a dogs, with long ears that swept backward. Nostrils appeared as bubbles before it burst, the mouth split open like taking an extra cheesy piece of pizza from the plate before the ends snapped apart revealing a maw of massive teeth, and two tongues.

Its howl shook the heavens.

The front legs formed, long, thin, powerful enough to crack the rock beneath them. It’s body lengthening by the moment, becoming a mix of wolf and cat, the advantage and killing power of both, with none of the weaknesses.

Another cry echoed from the sky.

Noire gasped when she saw the shadow of a Nevermoure, it’s great wings could beat back a hurricane. And it was coming for them. Each one of its talons was larger than she was, and it was targeting both of them. Such a colossal Grimm, how had they not seen this one before? It outclassed other’s of its same species in by a mile, with the front of its wings encased in the white bone. It dipped into the forest, slicing the tops of trees like they were nothing but paper.

“Run,!” Noire shouted at the Ooze. “We don’t both have to die here!”

She really shouldn’t have worried. The moment that the Nevermoure got near them the ooze reacted, it’s body half complete as the remainder of its mass shot outwards in nine massive spears of red and white.

The Nevermore came to a dead stop when it crashed into the spikes, it’s body falling as it began to evaporate.

Noire could do nothing but watch as the Ooze completed it’s form, turning from shapeless mass to a beautiful red Grimm that was a cross between canine, feline, and vulpine, with nine tails that lashed about like snakes without a head. The creature shook its new body for the first time, as though showing off its thick fur, its joints popped loudly and the finer details began to appear on the creature.

Green eyes on a black canvas snapped opened. And Noire gasped. They looked so kind and inviting.

“Are you going to kill me?” It was more of a squeak than a question. How on earth would the beast even answer her? It couldn’t speak, let alone understand her.

The beast shook its head no, it’s ears several sizes too long for its body stood rigid.

“Oh good, I’m talking to a red Grimm with green eyes, do Deathclaws have poison? Or am I already getting a fever?” Noire grunted, trying to pull herself up, but the wound in her side roared, demanding that she not move. “And now I can’t walk, fantastic.”

So much for her first heroic debut, instead of getting rescued she ended up getting saved by the thing she was going to save. This day was going just fantastic. With great effort she lifted up her hand, pointing in the vague direction of her sisters. “Since you’re not going to eat me, do you think you can carry me my sisters camp? It’s up on the ridge at the end of the forest. And you’re big so I shouldn’t be heavy for you.”

Green eyes narrowed, never before had she felt so judged, not when since she told her father that she wanted to be a huntress at any rate. The eyes softened, and the beast nodded once again, this time yes. And it almost looked like it was smiling.

“N-” The creature growled, huffed, and snorted as it tried to do something. Then it became clear as noise by noise the creature grew closer. “N-naaaahee?”

“Name? You want to know my name?”

“Yeeee…. Yeeeee….” The creature snorted face curled in frustration. With a huff, it gave a quick nod yes. Three of its tails extended from behind it wrapping around Noire just snuggling enough to move her easily.

The creature was soft and warm, like a living blanket on a cold morning. Noire sunk into the creatures back, grabbing handfuls of its warmth before letting out a deep long sigh. What on earth would her sisters think if she came riding into camp on a fox the size of a horse?

“I’m Noire, Noire Arc,” The first bristled for a moment. “Do you have a name?”

“Eeerrrhhhhaaa?” The creature sounded confused before it grunted. “Huuuun…”

It gave a quiet whine and its ears flopped to the sides. Noire was barely even aware the creature began to move.

“Well do you mind if I give you a name then? Hmm, are you a boy or a girl?” It felt like a girl, that and it was a badass and girls were badasses.

“Her.” The beast said quickly, ears perking up and free-tails wagging in the air. “Her, her, her, herrr!”

“So you’re a girl then?” another nod. “How about I call you Red then? At Least until you learn to talk better.”

A pause. “Naaahee, iiis, rrrred.”

“I’m glad you like it!”

XXXX

Noire Arc Character sheet.

Age: 17 (Nine months Younger than Jaune)

Height: 5’5”

Hair: Medium length tangled mess of black that destroys combs.

Semblance: Shadow Shell, she can call the shadows around her to conceal herself from most senses, can unleash the shadow to create spears of shadow glass that fade after a moment. Only usable once every two minutes.

Ability: Despite being Jaune’s little sister she had the natural ability and combat prowess her brother lacked and was quickly taken under the wing of her older sisters. Sarcasm as a natural defense. Like all Arcs, she fights with sword and shield, though often uses her shield for offense as opposed to defense.

 

Unlocked semblance at very young age playing hide and seek.


End file.
